Avatars

Avatars are the celestial and terrestrial powers capable of being called forth by summoners.

Avatars as Allies

Avatars can form pacts that allow adventurers to summon weaker versions of themselves. These "summoned avatars" are only a portion of the avatar's true strength.

Such avatars are capable of using powerful abilities: normal physical attack and Blood Pact abilities--both physical and magical--that require the summoner's MP to use. To maintain the avatar's presence, an Avatar Perpetuation Cost is required every tick.

Avatars as Enemies

Certain beastmen (such as Yagudo or Lamiae) have summoners within their ranks, and are capable of summoning avatars as adventurers do.

Technical Info for Avatars

All avatars except Fenrir have a delay of 320, gaining 83TP/hit.

Fenrir is the exception as he hits faster with a delay of 280, gaining 74TP/hit.

The six sleeping gods all have identical stats. They do not have any bonuses associated with their element (e.g., Shiva does not have higher INT or magic atack; Titan does not have higher VIT or Defense).

Fenrir has the highest attack of all avatars; Carbuncle has the lowest attack stat. The six sleeping gods and Diabolos all have equal attack and fall between Fenrir and Carbuncle.

Avatars have an innate Physical Damage Taken -50%. This does not apply to magical damage. All avatars are highly resistant to the elements they represent and are strong against.

At level 85, physical damage reduction for avatars is approximately -52.4% thanks to Stout Servant, meaning that they will take less than half damage from physical attacks. Tested via the Cactuar version of 1000 Needles, which deals physical damage. All avatars and Spirits tested took 476 damage from 1000 Needles when they were the only target in the area of effect. Source

Levels above 99

Beginning at level 99, avatars' equivalent level stats are based on the item equipped in the "Ammo" equipment slot.

The Eight Celestial Avatars

The term "celestial avatar" is a player-given name due to their reference as "celestial beings" and their presence on the Stellar Map as constellations, and that they came before the Terrestrial Avatars in the origin of Vana'diel. In-game they are referred to as the "sleeping gods". Each of the six basic elements is governed by one Sleeping God. Also present in the constellations above Vana'diel are Alexander and Odin, referred to in-game by the epithets "Iron Colossus" and the "The Dark Rider". Odin is also called the "Dark Divinity" because that is the name many Beastmen races worship him under. His black protocrystal was once found in Bearclaw Pinnacle before it was broken during the Crystal War by the Orcs. Alexander is also called the "Light Divinity" during the cutscenes that occur after obtaining the entire Homam or Nashira set from Limbus. Alexander's crystal is unknown, but might have something to do with the Astral Candescences. In the game, these two are not included among the "sleeping gods" although they are the elemental gods of darkness and light.

On the Stellar Map and in the night sky, each constellation has a star the same color as the sleeping gods' element. These stars are named for most importaint person or thing other than the avatar in their respective legends. The exception is Odin and Alexander (as they have no legends to read). Odin's star is named Sleipnir, after his horse. Alexander's star is named Gordius. In game, that is the name of the object at the center of worship of the Walahra Temple of Aht Urhgan. On Earth, it is the name of the king who created the Gordian Knot. Whoever untied it was the rightful ruler of what is now modern-day Turkey. Instead of untying it, Alexander the Great cut it in half with his sword.

The Six Sleeping Gods

SPOILER WARNING: Details about a quest, mission or other Final Fantasy XI in-game storyline follow.

There exists two beings for each protocrystal avatar: one that is one of the original gods, and the other is a living being (as seen in the avatar legends).

The protocrystals were created as a result of the Zilart dividing the power of the mother crystals elementally, and containing it in a smaller form.

The sleeping gods call each other "the true gods" whereas they call the terrestrial avatars "the false gods" and look down on all who came after them.

The sleeping gods are currently in a slumber. When energy is sapped from them (such as by obtaining the "whisper" or "eye" key items), they are closer to awakening. When they awaken, they will try to restore Vana'diel to its original state (known as "paradise") which would only allow the gods to live freely (and reduce the terrestrial avatars to mere beasts). It would also allow for the resurrection and death of Promathia, which would bring about the end of Vana'diel.

The sleeping gods also desire to restore the power of the "divided god" which is presumably the key to restoring paradise. The god is, more likely than not, Promathia, as a part of him is found in every lifeforce and during Waking the Beast they refer to the summoner at the Divided God. Another, less likely possibility is Alexander, or it could just be their name for the true mothercrystal "Great Crystal" (before it was split into five parts by Altana in an effort to keep Promathia alive).

The Zilart also used the power of the sleeping gods to help heal Vana'diel after the war between the wyrms and the Zilart.

The great ancient who it is said will fight against Odin in the age of judgment.

The Five Terrestrial Avatars

The terrestrial avatars are five powerful gods born of Vana'diel to protect the five mothercrystals. They--like any beast--can die, and if Vana'diel was restored to its original state of paradise, they would be reduced to mere animals.

A gigantic wolf summoned by Karaha-Baruha during the Great War, whose power was unleashed in a last-ditch effort to drive back the Shadow Lord's armies from the gates of Windurst. Fenrir aids the summoner with his command over darkness and abilities related to phases of the moon.

Creator of Dynamis, the Shrouded Land. Diabolos aids the summoner with his command over the power of dreams. While his main intentions are unclear, adventures confront this guardian when they seek his help to fight against Promathia.

Tenzen has the Phoenix Blade, which contains the flames of resurrection--Phoenix's life essence. She is believed to be worshiped in the Far East.

Undefined Avatars

These are avatars that do not reside in any of the in-game categories thus they are currently undefined, Atomos is revealed to be the avatar of time and is there to consume timelines which he views as dispensable, The Cavernous Maws we see throughout Vana'diel are the "avatar" form of Atomos; however, his true form greatly varies from his avatars. Then we have Cait Sith which was born from the "Tears of the Goddess" while she has yet to be defined as an avatar we do know she is being added as an avatar soon.

Mysterious beings born of the goddess Altana's tears and connected to the Cavernous Maws, Cait Siths have been watching the progress of the Crystal War. There are ten distinct Cait Siths, and a final composite Cait Sith consisting of the other Cait Siths combined into a single entity.